Bone pain: current and future treatments

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Skeletal conditions are common causes of chronic pain and there is an unmet medical need for improved treatment options. Bone pain is currently managed with disease modifying agents and/or analgesics depending on the condition. Disease modifying agents affect the underlying pathophysiology of the disease and reduce as a secondary effect bone pain. Antiresorptive and anabolic agents, such as bisphosphonates and intermittent parathyroid hormone (1-34), respectively, have proven effective as pain relieving agents. Cathepsin K inhibitors and anti-sclerostin antibodies hold, due to their disease modifying effects, promise of a pain relieving effect. NSAIDs and opioids are widely employed in the treatment of bone pain. However, recent preclinical findings demonstrating a unique neuronal innervation of bone tissue and sprouting of sensory nerve fibers open for new treatment possibilities.

Original languageEnglish
JournalCurrent Opinion in Pharmacology
Volume28
Pages (from-to)31-7
Number of pages7
ISSN1471-4892
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2016

    Research areas

  • Journal Article, Review

ID: 169740805